yes, brooklyn. williamsburg, brooklyn. don’t you know that this is the new hipster area? if not, then you’re not as hip as i thought you were. :) nevermind that someone might have once frightened you by saying the residents dress like homeless people with iphones or that they are spoiled lazy hipsters – clearly, that’s false. if you’re a manhattanite or simply someone up for a [small] road trip and you are feeling so inclined to venture out into bk, this is the place to start!

it could not be more accurately self-dubbed as “the art of culinary in the heart of williamsburg.” i stumbled into this wonderful, reasonably-priced gem shortly before its official grand opening in october and had a chance to meet the young & awesome chef bao bao herself. the space is intimate – you can easily eavesdrop on others’ conversations even if you’re trying hard not to be creepy nosy – but very well put to use with a dark, sexy, stylish decor. it’s a 12-seater that screams exclusive & perfection yet approachable & accessible, unlike other 10-12 seat restaurants that can be pretentious and burn holes in wallets take months for reservations. there is an open kitchen where you can admire the chef & her team’s brilliance as well as enjoying the fumes of all things you haven’t [yet] ordered. their cuisine is french with spanish & asian influences – well that just seems like the perfect fusion.

here are the delicacies during their opening event: my favorite must-get is listed first, the seared duck ramen, which will soon be on every ramen addicts’ top 10 list. it is so tasty yet so guilt-free:

this festive, chic west village feel and not-too-dimly-lit lighting was perfect for obnoxious food photos foodies yet maintained a flawless, flattering skin tone for the vain the guests.

what a wonderful evening of exquisite chef’s tasting + cocktail pairing, designed by chef russell jackson. the french-asian fusion was perfectly crafted to balance light + heavy ingredients, leaving us completely satisfied, in the eyes, the taste buds, & the stomach. there was no menu. a list of ingredients prior to that evening was disclosed, but i wasn’t aware of it so everything came as a surprise for me.

starting off right: 50 yr old seagram’s – who knew he’d be so smooth? the only 50 yr old i’d ever do :)

the excitement at this table of foodies was contagious, and presumably above & beyond louro’s usual clientele, & accounted for by everyone surrounding us with their looks of questionable envy curiosity + admiration. the chef himself stopped by to say hi & share with us an old bottle of scotch he has yet to break open, and the bottom looked like colonies of gold crystals ready for attack. we didn’t have any that evening. we didn’t need anything else.